New cyberattack on supermarket fridges sweeps across Europe

Live updates

1. 2h ago

   Cyberattacks target supermarket refrigeration across Europe

   A hacking campaign has targeted refrigerator and freezer units at European grocery chains, causing temperatures to soar and spoiling food. The attacks hit stores in Sweden, Belgium, and Luxembourg on Monday, November 3. Affected entities include supermarket groups Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt, Swedish grocers ICA and Coop, and at least one IKEA store. In some instances, freezers were reportedly set to 120 degrees, forcing stores to take corrective action to prevent further inventory loss.

   Why it matters

   This event marks the second suspected cyberattack of its kind to hit European supermarket cooling systems. The ability to remotely manipulate industrial temperature controls raises concerns about the vulnerability of other critical infrastructure and the potential for similar attacks in the United States.

   What is confirmed

   • Cyberattacks targeted supermarket fridges and freezers across Europe.
   • The attacks affected stores in Belgium, Sweden, and Luxembourg.
   • The hacking campaign hit grocery chains Ahold Delhaize, Colruyt, ICA, and Coop.
   • At least one IKEA store was affected by the attack.
   • The incident is described as a second suspected cyberattack on supermarket freezers in Europe.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Hackers set some freezers to 120 degrees.
   • The attacks occurred on Monday, November 3.

   What to watch next

   • Identification of the threat actor responsible for the attacks
   • Confirmation of whether similar attacks have reached North American retailers
   • Official statements from Ahold Delhaize or Colruyt regarding the breach
   Sources used for this update (22)

   1. www.asiaone.com — AsiaOne, Asia's Leading News Portal, Get Latest News at AsiaOne
   2. cashwalklabs.io — GM will switch to Nasdaq from the NYSE on Nov. 17
   3. BBC — Supermarket freezers in Belgium, Sweden and Luxembourg hit by suspected cyber-attack
   4. Reuters — European supermarkets hit by new fridge cyber attack
   5. The Guardian — Supermarket freezers across Europe hit by second suspected cyber-attack
   6. ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos — European grocery chains' freezers, refrigerators targeted in apparent cyberattacks
   7. NBC News — Supermarkets across Europe hit by new fridge cyberattacks
   8. Axios — Europe's fridges are getting hacked. Could America be next?
   9. BBC — If hackers can take control of a supermarket freezer, how vulnerable is other tech?
   10. The Guardian — Who is hacking Europe’s supermarket fridges and freezers, and why?
   11. Yahoo — Hackers hijack supermarket freezers to spoil food across Europe
   12. Yahoo — New cyberattacks hit supermarket fridges across Europe
   confidence 90%